St. Luke's Church – Faribault, MN

God is at work at Saint Luke’s. There are clear Spirit-initiated movements that I see happening within our church: a movement of awareness, a movement of growth, a movement of obedience, and a movement of service.

Awareness

Hear this in the right way, but I am excited to see an awareness growing that we are spiritually sick. Yes, I am rejoicing in the recognition of sickness because before men and women will repent and trust in Jesus they must first realize their sinfulness. To receive the good news of eternal life in Jesus a person must first come to grips with the bad news that they are a sinner and the wages of sin is death.

Now, don’t misunderstand, we are not making people sick. Instead, as God’s Word is being proclaimed many are beginning to realize they are sinners facing judgment and in need of the grace of Jesus! “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31–32).

The eleven believer baptisms this past year are a clear example of this. Old and young recognized that without Jesus they are dead toward God. And so they publically proclaimed their faith in Jesus – they have died with him, and are now raised to newness of life through his work!

Grow

I believe we are experiencing a movement of inner growth. Thomas Shepard, a minister and founder of Harvard University, wrote, “There is in true grace an infinite circle: a man by thirsting receives, and receiving thirsts for more.” As people hear about Jesus as Lord and Savior, there is an increasing desire to grow at Saint Luke’s and to dig deeper into God’s Word. For those who are seeking to consider the claims of Jesus found in God’s Word; this is wonderful. Ask, seek, knock, and you will find, Jesus teaches (Matthew 7:7-8). And for those that are born again; praise God that you are not satisfied with merely being a new creation, but are striving to grow to full maturity (Colossians 1:28).

Praise God that his grace is fueling an ever increasing thirst for truth at Saint Luke’s!

Obedience

We are to hear God’s Word, believe in it, and obey it (James 4:22-26). Obedience is hard because we often confuse obedience with legalism. We are not saved by obeying God’s Word. We are saved by our faith in Jesus. And then that saving grace creates a desire in us to be obedient to God. As Titus teaches: “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11–12). Legalism teaches that in order to be saved we must obey. The gospel teaches us that because we are saved we will seek to grow in following what God teaches.

I am encouraged to see us desiring to obey God’s Word at Saint Luke’s. Some examples of this are: We are now following requirements and qualifications based on Scripture for leadership at Saint Luke’s. Many are asking what God’s Word teaches about Marriage and Parenting. We are slowly taking steps toward a new Statement of Faith based on Scripture.

May the desire to obey God’s Word grow in our hearts so that we might be blessed (Psalm 1).

Serve

How many people do you know believe that church is optional? It is very likely that your answer reflects a 2006 George Barna study that found, “Fewer than one out of every five adults firmly believes that a congregational church is a critical element in their spiritual growth and just as few strongly contend that participation in some type of community of faith is required for them to achieve their full potential.”

These ‘church optional’ believers are not only missing the key teaching of Scripture that a community of faith is essential to grow but also they are limiting others because we need one another to grow! Paul, in Ephesians 3 says that Christians are a temple built together not by mortar but by the Holy Spirit. Imagine a brick pulling out of the wall of Saint Luke’s. Not only will the brick immediately fall to the ground but also the bricks around it will lack support. These are the actual repercussions of a Christian choosing to not be a part of a church community — without one another, we will fall and we will cause others to be weakened.

There is a new understanding being lived out at Saint Luke’s. We are starting to realize that church is essential. We come to worship together and study together in order to lift one another up and to be held up by one another.

If our recognition of our spiritual need, desire to be feed by God’s Word, love of obeying God, and commitment to community continues to increase, we will be a growing church in 2012.

There is no doubt, God is at work at Saint Luke’s. I am confident that in 2012 God will continue to do more than we could ever ask or think.

To God be the Glory,

Pastor Aaron